Rail-joint.



No. 731,181. I \PATENTED JUNE 16, 1903.

J. P. HEUER. RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 24, 1903.

NO MODEL.

'NITED STATES Patented J une 16, 1903'.

JOHN PIUS HEUER, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAIL-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 731,181, dated June 16,1903. Application filed April 24, 1903. Serial No 154,084. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN PIUS IIEUER, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRail-Joints, of which the following is a specification, reference beingbad therein to inclined edge, forming a wedge-face, the incline or Wedgeface on one member being the reverse to that on the other member. A shoeis slidably engaged with the chair and wedges against the inclined orwedge faces of the members to securely bind the same in position. y

In connection with the improved joint I may employ a spring interposedbetween the two ends of the rails to offer resistance to the rails whenunder expansion, though this con struction is not essential to" theoperation of the device.

In describing the invention in. detail reference will be had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, and whereinlike numerals of reference will be employed for designating like partsthroughout the difierent Views of the drawings, in which Figure 1 is aside elevation of myimproved joint as applied to the rails. Fig. 2 is atop plan View of the same. Fig. .3 is a side elevation with one-half ofthe chair removed, showing the shoe in section. Fig. 4 is a transversevertical sectional view through the chair, showing the rail and shoe inend elevation; and Fig. 5 is a detached detail perspective view of onemember of the chair.

My improved joint is adapted to be applied member.

to the ordinary form of rails, no especial construction of the latterbeing required in connection with my invention. My device embodies achair consisting of two similar members and each comprising an integralfishplate 1, flange 2, and base-plate 3. The baseplate 3 is preferablyconstructed of less width than the flange 2, and thus when the chair isfitted on the rail the inner edges of the two members are some distanceapart, leaving a space 4 between the said inner edges of thebase-plates. The outer edge of the chair member is cut away at anincline, forming a wedge-face 5, terminating at one end in ashoulder6,whichformsastop. Thesewedgefaces on the two chair members aremade in reverse directionsthat is, the stop 6 is adjacent the end of oneof the chair members, and the stop 6 of the other chair member isadjacent the other or opposite end of said A shoe 7 engages the chairmembers and embodies in its construction a base plate or member, sidewalls, and overlying flanges, which latter engage the upper face of theflanges 2 of the chair members. Each chair member is preferably providedwith notches 8 to receive the spikes 9, which secure the rails and chairto the cross-ties. The shoe is placed on the two members of the chair,and after the rails have been inserted between the chair members theshoe is tightened by moving one chair member in one direction and theother in the opposite direction, whereby to tighten the wedge-faces ofthe chair members against the side walls of the shoe, it beingunderstood that the chair members are so placed that when so moved inopposite directions to tighten the same in the shoe that when inposition the ends of the chair member will be opposite. The spikes arethen driven into the ties to secure the device and the rails to thecross-ties.

In practice I preferably employ a spring 10, interposed between theadjacent ends of the rails to offer resistance to the expansion of therails, this spring straightening as the rails expand and resuming itsnormal shape as the rails again contract.

While I have herein shown and described the invention in detail as it ispracticed by me, yet it will be evident that various slight changes maybe made in the details of construction without departing from thegeneral spirit of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a rail-joint, the combination with the rails, of a chaircomprising two similar members each embodying an integral fish-plate,flange, and base-plate, each of said chair members having its outer edgecut away on an incline forming a Wedge-face, the Wedgefacebn the onechair member being reversed to that on the other chair member, and ashoe embracing the chair members and engaging said wedge-faces,substantially as described.

JOHN PIUS IIEUER.

Witnesses:

A. M. WILSON, E. E. POTTER.

